Strive
for Progress—not Perfection! This is my new motto.
I’ve
never considered my students as clients. For a long time, however, I have over-emphasized
trying to produce something very unlikely—perfection. Teaching is its own
delicate form of dance, an intimate balancing act of inviting the student to
learn while encouraging them to progress.
While I never want to spoon-feed information, stringing students along
for more profit, I recognize that the
long-term value of providing what they are capable of absorbing is key to their
success. Like many things in my life, my
teaching style is evolving as I experience a paradigm shift in how I interact
with my students.
I
have refined my instruction so that student dancers can be more genuine with me
both in and outside of our student/teacher relationship. This has required me
to develop a more relaxed and authentic bond with those taking instruction from
me. The results were clearly demonstrated at the recent competition in late
September.
In
just the Pro/Am competitions alone, four
of my attending students garnered 1st place awards in 30 single
dance heats between them in a variety of Country, Smooth, Rhythm and Standard
dances—a remarkable accomplishment!
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I've
had the benefit of working for myself as a dance teacher for several years. I
love that I’m not just some instructor randomly paired with a new student and
instead sought out by students, who place their trust in me to guide them. As
they progress towards their dance goals, I honor their trust with great
responsibility and take my teaching more seriously than ever before. My job is
to train them in developing their skills, while allowing them to simultaneously
experience the joy of our common passion—another “p” word I now prefer to
“perfection!”
Leadership
is helping others succeed through influence! This is my personal mission
statement.
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